


Jasmine Tea

by fawndle



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Levi is Whipped (Shingeki no Kyojin), Tea Shop Owner Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:48:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29713977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawndle/pseuds/fawndle
Summary: In which your childhood best friend Jean offers to take you on a date to a teashop. Upon getting stood up, the shop owner Levi Ackerman takes an interest in you.
Relationships: Jean Kirstein/Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i decided to rewrite this fic/book/whatever because i wasn't pleased with how it was turning out and i rushed the plot. hopefully, this time it'll be better.

The sun.

To some, it was merely just a star. A celestial body in our solar system that provides light and heat to our planet. To you, the sun is your mentor. She teaches you life and passes on her wisdom to you through the breeze.

Yes, she's a she. And she's the most beautiful girl you've ever seen.

You're laying in your backyard looking up to the sky, knees kissing your chest. It was clear today. There wasn't a single cloud to be seen. Your bare feet are being tickled by the soft grass that dances in the soft wind. Stray hairs that came loose from your low ponytail are being blown into your face, causing you to slightly squint. The Sun's rays warmed you, despite the cold breeze causing goosebumps to appear on your forearms. _Today is going to be a good day_.

You felt a presence next to you. You looked to your right to find Jean, your best friend since you were kids. He sat down with a grunt, stretching his legs out in front of him. He leaned back on his hands and let his head fall back.

The two of you have been neighbors your whole lives. It all started on a chilly day in October when his mother forced him to bring over an omelet. He convinced himself that you were "stealing" from him and resented you until his mother scolded him for being such a "dumb idiot". Because of her, a friendship with Jean blossomed and you've been inseparable ever since.

"Hello, Jean." You greet.

He was clad in his military police uniform. The white button-down he was wearing was slightly wrinkled. You assumed he finally did his laundry for once and forgot to iron. _Typical Jean_.

"Good morning," He says to you. "Have you been out here long?"

You nod. "I got up early to watch the sunrise. Haven't left since."

"You and your obsession with the sun." He chuckles and shakes his head.

"It's not an obsession, Jean. It's an appreciation. The sun is overlooked but does so much for us." You explain.

You had Mrs. Ruth, your caretaker to thank. She's the one who taught you to appreciate the beauty of the world as much as you can. "We're all in constant fear of our impending doom," she always said. "Appreciate what we have before it's too late". And so that's what you did. You lived in a comfortable home a few doors down from her, leading a comfortable life in peace and...well, comfort. It's all Mrs. Ruth ever wanted for you.

You're forever grateful for her. She took you in after she heard news from her friends who were nurses that your mother had died giving birth to you and your father had died from an untreated illness a couple of months prior. Your parents were from the Underground and were determined to give you a proper life above ground. Working as hard as they could, they stopped caring about your father's illness and worked up the money to get citizenship papers. You had your parents to thank as well for being able to bask in the sunlight every day without a worry in the world (besides the titans that roamed outside of the walls).

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." He sighs.

"Knowing that she'll be there when I wake up helps me sleep." You nod.

Jean scoffs playfully. "It truly is an obsession."

You chuckle. "What're you doing here? Don't you have work?"

"I do. I just wanted to stop by." He sits up so that he's no longer putting a strain on his wrists.

"That's very nice of you." You smile.

"I, also, wanted to ask you something." Jean rubs the back of his neck and bites his lip.

"Oh?" You raise your eyebrow. You look at him and notice his nervousness.

"I have a day off tomorrow. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to that tea shop I was telling you about." He asks.

You remember what he said. He described it only as "the best thing he's ever put in his mouth". You laughed at his choice of words.

"Sure, I would love to! I've been wanting to try it." You smile.

"Really?" A smile that slowly widened appeared on his face.

"Yeah, of course. I enjoy hanging out with you." You give him a confused look.

You notice your legs are starting to feel numb and you stand up. Jean follows and the two of you face each other. He looks at you with his brown eyes that look like gold in the sunlight.

"You see, it wouldn't be a hangout, per se," He starts. "It would be more like...a date."

"A date?" You were surprised.

He nods. A blush starts to slowly appear on his cheeks. You giggle at the sight and grab onto his hand.

"I would love to." You smile and rub his hand with your thumb.

He lets out a breathy laugh and nods. "I'll meet you there. Say...at one?"

You nod and let go of his hand. Jean walks you to your front door, watching from your porch step as you walk into your house. He sends you a wave and you return it.

"Until tomorrow," Jean says.

You nod and shut your door, letting out a breath once you heard the door click shut. _A date, huh._ Not once has a romantic thought about Jean ever crossed your mind. However, the anticipation and nervousness about tomorrow caused your brain to run wild with fantasies of him. Where was all this coming from? Was it all just buried deep inside you and Jean managed to uncover our feelings? _Or maybe it's guilt causing you to believe you are reciprocating his feelings?_

Who knows?

Morning eventually faded into late afternoon. You spent that time doing chores around your house that you've been putting off for weeks now. To reward yourself, you head to the marketplace to buy yourself a new novel. You have a plethora of them at home, sure, but you've already read them. Three times, to be exact. You were due for a new one.

You approach the book vendor with a smile on your face. You greet him and begin browsing through the small selection. You traced your fingers along the spines of each one, feeling how rough or smooth it was. You select one with an ivory green leather cover that appeared to be worn out. You paid for it and turned on your heel to return home. As you walk back, you pass by the teashop. It was small and homey. There was a wooden sign hanging in front of the door with the word "welcome" carved into it. You walk in and are immediately hit with a strong scent of various teas. Bells that are hung above the door ring, announcing your arrival to everyone in the shop. It wasn't necessarily busy but a majority of the tables meant for multiple people were filled.

You scanned the room for an empty table but ended up marveling over the shop's beauty. The windowsills are decorated with potted plants and white vases with intricate designs. All the tables were polished had a small lit candle strategically placed in the middle. The wooden floor, as well, was polished. It was spotless and felt regal.

You approached the front counter and waited for someone to assist you. You scanned over the display that was behind the counter, reading the bags of tea leaves that were able to be purchased. A door next to the display opens and out comes a rather short man with raven hair and an undercut. He was clad in a white button-down with its collar popped and a red vest. He stood in front of you with an expression that you couldn't describe. His steely grey eyes looked at you as he waited for you to speak.

"What do you want?" He asks as he takes a pen and notepad out from his back pocket.

"Oh, uh, I'm not much of a tea drinker. What do you recommend?" You smile.

He gives you an impatient look and scoffs. "Why come to a tea shop if you don't drink tea?"

"Curiosity." You respond truthfully.

He hums and stuffs the notepad and pen back into his pocket. He seems to ponder for a moment before speaking again. "I recommend the jasmine tea. Do you want that?"

You nod and bring out cash from your pocket. It was balled up and extremely crinkled. He grimaced but took it and counted out the correct change. He handed the rest back to you while putting what he counted out in a jar.

"Take a seat anywhere." He says before heading into the back.

You turn around and find an empty table for two near a window. You take a seat and begin reading your book. You were lost in it already until an overwhelming aroma of tea tree oil with a hint of lemon slightly burned the inside of your nose. The sensation pulled you out of your thoughts. You look up and see the man from the front counter gingerly placing your tea in front of you.

"Thank you." You exhaled.

He didn't say a word and instead began to clean off an empty table. You resumed reading from where you left off. The refreshing scent was still lingering around you. You inhaled deeply, wanting to take in as much as you could.

You traded from drinking your tea and reading your book until you were done with both. You wiped a tear that slipped from your eye and closed the book softly. You set it down on the table and sighed.

"Are you alright?" A voice asks you.

You look around the shop to see that you were alone. Suddenly, a head pops out from behind the counter. The man stands up straight and flicks his head to the side to move his hair out of his face. He flings a rag over his right shoulder looks at you with the same stern, unreadable expression.

"More than alright." You nod.

He blinks. "You're 'more than alright' yet you're crying."

"It was a marvelous book." You say as you hold it up to him.

He hums and tosses the rag onto the counter. You glance around the room again, noticing the chairs were stacked on their corresponding tables. The candles have been blown out except for yours.

"Do you read?" You ask him.

"Hell no." He scoffs.

"A simple no would've sufficed," You mumbled. "You should. It's really-"

"I don't read." He deadpans.

"Well, have you ever tried?" You raise your eyebrow.

"No."

"Then-"

"Listen, I'm not up for small talk. It's thirty minutes past closing and I'm exhausted." He leans against the display behind him and crosses his arms.

You couldn't decipher if he was trying to be rude or if he was just cranky. Nonetheless, you grab your book and stand up. You push in your chair and head towards the door.

"Thank you for the tea, it was delicious. I apologize for keeping you here late. Goodnight." You say to him as you leave.

You get no response (not that you were expecting one). You concluded that he was a man of very few words and only spoke if it was necessary. Saying farewell to a stranger wasn't a necessity, especially if you weren't ever going to see them again.

At least, that's what he thinks.

***

The moon.

Just another celestial being in our solar system, in charge of the climate and the rhythm that has guided humans for centuries. A heavenly body that illuminates the dark sky when the sun decides to retire for the night. They all say she's lost her beauty after being constantly abused by asteroids and meteorites, but you think that makes her more ravishing. Especially during full moons when you can see her in all her glory.

To you, she's that and more. She's there for you when your mind is preoccupied with doubt and mysteries. She listens to your troubles and secrets. She comforts you during sleepless nights, lulling you to sleep with soft whispers of hope and reassurance.

Tonight was one of those nights.

You toss and turn in your bed attempting to find a comfortable position. Excitement riddled you. You sigh and glance out your opened window. You look to the stars that littered the dark sky, twinkling as if they're trying to get your attention. Crickets were audibly singing under the moonlight. She was looking at you, prepared to sing her lullaby. A breeze hummed in your ears. Its gentle voice and warmth caused you to flutter your eyes close and drift off into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i hope everyone had a good weekend. last monday I celebrated my birthday (woohoo) so i gave myself the week off :) anyway, enjoy!

Frustratedly, you part and re-part your hair for what seems like an eternity. You huff and finally settle on a middle part. You take the baby blue satin cloth that was neatly folded into a triangle and tie it around your head. You pull strands of hair out from underneath to frame your face. You give yourself a satisfactory smile in your vanity mirror.

Today is your date with Jean. You almost forgot, actually, but if you hadn't gone out for your morning sun gaze, you would've missed the note that was resting on your porch chair.

_Still up for today? - Jean_

You placed the note in a kitchen drawer. After reading it, you began getting ready even though you had three hours to spare. You put on a red chiffon shirt and a white skirt that went to your knees. You dug through your vanity drawer to find pieces of jewelry that were gifted to you by your lovely neighbors. You decide against wearing any after struggling to find something that matches your outfit.

Now you have two.

You slipped on some brown boots and stuffed your purse in your skirt pocket. You let out a breath and exited your home. When your feet touched the grass, your boots darkened because of the morning dew. The sun warmed your skin.

"Good morning," You smile. "again."

You skipped along the cobblestone path happily and made your way into the market. It was unusually crowded today. People were bumping into each other and accidentally knocking over sighs and produce.

Soldiers from the Garrison were sitting at a makeshift table in front of the gate and playing cards, drinking heavily and laughing at the sight. Your friend Eren always scoffs at their laziness but can you blame them? The last titan breach was centuries ago. There really isn't a need to be on edge all the time.

"Hey!" You hear someone call out to you.

You recognize the voice instantly. "Hello, Hannes."

He motions you over and you oblige. You brush past people that were walking by, mumbling 'excuse me' and 'pardon me'. You stood a few feet away from the table attempting to avoid the stench of alcohol. You never found drinking or the idea of being drunk appealing. Hannes slowly stood up from his seat and stumbled closer to you.

"How're you doing, pretty lady?" He slurred.

You grimaced as the smell of alcohol burned your nose. You took a few steps back, hoping that the distance would numb it.

"I'm doing fine. How're you?" You ask.

"I'm doing splendid," He laughed and holds out his flask to you. "Care for a drink?"

"No, thank you," You shake your head. "I don't drink."

"You should. Maybe it'll make your books more interesting." He teases.

You scoff and roll your eyes as the other soldiers sitting at the table laugh.

"Hey, I'm just joking. I don't mean to offend." His face turned to a serious one.

"It's alright, Hannes." You smile.

He smiles and looks you up at down. "You're all dressed up."

"I've got a lunch date." You explain.

"Looks like someone's after you girl, Hannes." A man from the table said.

They burst into a fit of laughter again while Hannes turned around and flipped them off.

"Sorry about them. We all act some way when we're drunk. Unfortunately, they all turn into annoying ass sons of bitches." He scoffs.

You chuckle. "It's alright."

"Who's the guy?" He asks as he takes a swig.

"Jean." You say simply.

"Ugh, an MP? You can do better than that." Hannes says as he walks back to the table. He picks up his cards and plays them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You raise your eyebrow.

Before he can answer, a hand on your shoulder startles you.

"Now, now. Don't listen to him. He's just jealous that someone else has your eye." You turn around to find Mrs. Ruth behind you. She was holding a few bags of what seemed like food.

Hannes waved the both of you off and you start walking with Mrs. Ruth.

"You're out early." You point out.

"Had to get stuff for the grandkids," She explains. "Where're you headed?"

"The tea shop." You point towards the end of the market.

"Oh, I'm headed that way, too," She smiles. "So, you have a date with Jean?"

You nod. "I was a bit surprised."

"How come?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Well, Jean and I have always been friends. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't know he had any romantic feelings." You explain.

"Do you feel the same?" She asks.

You sigh. "I don't know."

You'd be lying if you said Jean wasn't attractive. You'd also be lying if you said the idea of being with him romantically never crossed your mind. You have had your fair share of dates and each one of them ended badly. Jean was always there to comfort you and 'treat you how you deserved to be treated' (his words).

"Well, you'll find out soon enough." She motioned to the tea shop that was right in front of you.

You nodded and waved goodbye to her. You watched as she continued walking down the path and entering an unknown building. You exhale deeply and enter the shop. The bells announce your presence and you are greeted with the same aroma of teas from last time. You approach the front counter where the man from yesterday is waiting with an unimpressed, unenthusiastic look.

"What do you want?" He asks in a monotone voice.

"Uh, jasmine...tea." You reply slowly as you pull out your purse from your pocket.

He holds out his hand and you place a wad of cash in the middle of his palm. He looks at you with a disgusted look.

"What the hell is this?" He scoffs.

"You never told me the total. I assumed you would do what you did yesterday." You shrug

He blinks and starts counting out the money. "At least make an effort to keep your money neat."

"Maybe I crinkled it just for you." You tease.

He sends you an unimpressed look and shakes his head. You can't tell if he didn't catch on that you were kidding or if he in general lacked a sense of humor. He hands you back the leftover money and motions you to sit down. You sit at the same spot from yesterday with a sigh. You twiddle your thumbs and occasionally look at the front door, waiting for Jean to make an appearance.

Your tea gets brought out to you. He sets it down gently before swiftly walking away. You hold the cup in both of your hands and sigh contently at the warmth.

As time goes by, you find yourself looking at the front door every time the bells ring and asking strangers for the time. You end up asking every thirty minutes or so and become anxious when someone finally tells you that it was one o'clock. You sigh and bite your lip. Jean was never the type to be punctual. In fact, in all the years you've known him, he's never once shown up at the right time. You chuckle softly and take a sip of your now lukewarm tea.

You sit in silence for a couple more hours, taking small sips of your tea and waiting patiently.

"Hey," A voice says to you. You look up, expecting to see Jean but instead are met with a displeased face. It was the man from the front counter. "Are you expecting someone?"

"Yeah, why?" You raise your eyebrow.

"I couldn't help but notice that every time someone walked into the shop, you whipped your head around to look." He shrugs.

"Oh, well, uh, I was supposed to meet someone here at one." You explain.

"It's six." He deadpans.

You bite your lip and look out the window next to you. The sun was setting, making the sky turn into a pink and orange gradient that faded into a dark blue. You set your now empty cup down and stare at it. He notices its emptiness and takes it gingerly into the back room. He returns with a cup of his own and leans against the front counter, sipping it slightly and grunting at the taste.

"It was a date." You admit.

He looks up at you from his cup and sighs. You infer that he doesn't want to engage in a conversation so you expect no response.

To your surprise, he says: "So he stood you up?"

"More or less," You shrug. "Oh, well. Can't be helped."

He blinks. "You're not upset?"

You shake your head. "I mean, I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to today. However, I won't lose sleep over it or waste any tears. I've known Jean for a while. He'll make it up to me eventually."

He snorts.

"What's so funny?" You raise your eyebrow.

"Jean...such a pretentious name." He mutters into his cup as he takes a sip.

"He's not pretentious." You scoff.

"Pretentious name, pretentious guy," He shrugs. "And on top of that, he's shitty."

"He's not shitty." You blink.

"He stood you up, no?" He rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't make him shitty. It was a shitty thing to do, sure, but it doesn't change his character. I've known him for years and you don't know him at all. He's smart, kind, funny, selfless, incredibly-"

"You talk a lot," He deadpans. "And quite frankly, I don't wish to know him."

You roll your eyes and he scoffs.

"It's past closing." He says as he sets his cup down on the counter.

You nod and stand up. You smooth out your skirt and sigh. As you head towards the door, the man comes to your table to wipe it clean. He seems to be lost in concentration as he slowly moves the rag across the table. Once he's done, he swipes his finger underneath the table and grunts satisfactorily when there's no residue on his finger. You chuckle as you watch the scene and he looks up to you.

He scoffs and saunters over to the front counter.

"Goodnight." You say as you leave, once again not expecting a response.

Naturally, you didn't receive one.

You made your way home quickly, not wanting to walk the streets alone at night. Titans aren't the only thing you have to worry about in this world. There are terribly people out there who would do terrible things to women like you. You shudder at the thought and thank the Moon every day that you've never encountered any of those people.

Once home, you kick off your boots and trudge to your room. You open your bedroom window and look how to the Moon. She was waiting for you.

"Hello, Moon," You greet. "How're you?"

A soft breeze makes the trees dance in the distance. The sweet smell of flowers engulfs you.

"You know about the date, right?" You start. "Did you know he wouldn't show?"

_"..."_

"I suppose you didn't know since I didn't mention it last night," You sigh. "But you know all, I think."

The wind whistled in your ears.

"I wish you told me. I would've done something productive today if you warned me," You snort. You're filled with instant regret. "I'm not blaming you, by the way. Maybe there's a reason for your not telling me."

It whistled again, making you smile.

"I see. Well, goodnight." You say as you strip and flop onto your bed.

It doesn't take you long to fall asleep. The moon lulled you with the ethereal voices of the wind, knowing that today would keep you awake if she hadn't stepped in.

_Mental note: thank her tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 138 fucked me up big time (pls no spoilers in comments pls for the sake of others). anyway, I'm working on another fanfic that's levi x reader (obv) and it's based in the victorian era. if i release chapters for that and focus my attention on that fic, pls don't hate me or think I'm abandoning this. I'm excited for both!  
> until next time :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i hope everyone has had a good week so far :D i wrote this rather quickly so apologies for any errors.

"Is something the matter?" He asks you.

You decided to give Eren a surprise visit. You didn't know when his off days were but to your luck, today was one of them. Armin and Mikasa were there as well. There hasn't been a single day where the three of them weren't together. You wouldn't be surprised if they all had a dorm together even though it was against rules for women and men to share.

"Just a little exhausted." You reply.

It wasn't a lie. You were indeed exhausted. Before you left, you cleaned and re-cleaned your closet and vanity. You pulled out old clothes that you've grown out of or lost love for. With the clothes left, you organized them by season and then by color, and then by fabric. After everything was done, there was a pile of old clothes lying in the corner of your room. On top was the jewelry that you found that was either rusted or broken. You were too tired and achy to do anything about the pile and left it for another day. 

You mustered up the strength to drag yourself to Eren's. You needed to see him or rather _someone_.

"You can go home if you need to and rest. I have another off day next week." He offers.

"You kicking me out, Jaeger?" You tease.

He chuckles and shakes his head. 

"I just wanted to see you. All of you." You glance at Mikasa and Armin who were sitting next to Eren.

All three of them shared a couch while you sat at one across from them. A coffee table was in the middle of the room. Armin had made all of you guys some tea and set it down on the table. 

"Is something wrong?" Armin raises his eyebrow. He looked extremely concerned.

You bit your lip. You don't know if you should tell them about your situation with Jean. 

First off, it was Jean who introduced you to them. Jean and you always sat under a tree that was near the gate. It was on top of a hill and flowers of many varieties surrounded it. One day, the two of you were there when Eren, Armin, and Mikasa came up to you. They had told you that they've been coming to this tree since they were kids. Jean and Eren got into a huge argument about who had it first. You awkwardly stood there while Armin and Mikasa just laughed. After their discourse, Jean introduced you to all of them and since then, the tree has been everyones. You all hang out there every now and then when everyone seems to have the same off days.

Eren's and Jean's relationship is a peculiar one. They fight constantly; always yelling at each other and calling each other names. If you didn't know either of them, you would think they hated each other. Fortunately, you do know them and you know that behind all the punching and kicking and biting (yes, biting), there's brotherly love and respect. You didn't want to risk jeopardizing that.

"No, no. I just missed you guys, is all. Feels like I haven't talked to either of you in forever." You chuckle.

They all smile and nod. 

"We missed you, too," Armin says as he takes a sip of his tea.

"So, what's been going on?" You ask.

They all glanced at each other for a quick second before Eren shakes his head. Armin nods and turns back to you.

"Same old," Eren speaks. "Just missions and whatnot."

You pretend you didn't notice what happened and nod. 

"Catching criminals and saving people's asses!" Armin chimes in.

You all chuckle. 

"What about you?" Mikasa finally speaks.

"Same old," You copy Eren. He notices and scoffs playfully. "Just chores and whatnot."

"Still into the moon and sun thing, I presume?" Eren raises his eyebrow.

You nod. The trio shares another glance. 

"Am I missing something?" Now it was your turn to raise your eyebrow.

"Oh, no," Armin laughs nervously. "It's nothing."

You nod slowly and hum. Maybe they'll tell you another day.

"Have you guys talk to Jean?" 

"Yeah, we talk to him every day," Eren says. "Why?"

"Even today?" You bite the inside of your cheek.

"A little. It was a quick greeting before we left to come here. Again, why?" Eren looked at you suspiciously.

You shook your head. "Just wondering."

"Did that horse face do something?" Eren questions you.

You dodged it. "Does he have an off day?"

"Everyone got one except for the higher-ups," Armin spoke.

You nod and sit on your hands. Eren look at you and blinks. He sighs signaling that he's given up for now. The three of them start talking about up-coming missions while you sit there in silence. You chew on your bottom lip and kick your feet back and forth.

Why didn't he come to see you?

***

You sit in your usual spot and sip on your jasmine tea. You smile at how it always tastes the same whenever you get it. You flicked through the pages of your new book that you bought after you left Eren's. Naturally, you came to the teashop to sit down and enjoy the novel with a hot cup of tea; it's the best way to enjoy it. 

You did your same routine of giving him a random amount of cash and watch him count out the correct amount. He gave you a look of satisfaction when he saw that the money wasn't crumbled and was in a neat stack. 

While reading, your mind wandered to Jean. Your once contentment was replaced with anger and sadness. You brought your knees to your chest and pulled down your skirt to remain modest. You chewed on your thumb only to realize you had broken the skin a few hours earlier. Still, you continued and shortly after tasted blood. 

"Do you need a bandage?" 

You glanced at the man in front of you and nodded. You don't know when he got there or how long he's been standing there. His eyes were unreadable and his face stern. He nodded and sauntered over to the front counter. He walked behind it and disappeared. When he came back up, he had a box and returned back to you. He set the box on the table carefully and opened it. He pulled out a cotton ball and a bottle. He twisted the cap off and doused the cotton ball in the substance. He looked at you and you raised your thumb. You hadn't noticed how much it was actually bleeding. Blood was dripping from the tip of your thumb and streamed down to your wrist. You watched him grimace and gently take your hand. He cleaned up the blood and started wiping the wound. You winced and he stopped immediately. You gave him a look to continue and he nodded. Once done, he wrapped gauze around your thumb. He packed everything up in the little box and returned it to its spot under the counter.

"Why'd you do that?" He asks as he stands back up.

"Habit." You shrug.

"Find a new one." He scoffs.

"Gee, thanks." You say sarcastically.

He blinks.

"But really, thank you." You smile.

He nods. It was silent for a dozen minutes before you spoke again.

"May I ramble?"

He looks at you with squinted eyes before sighing. He gives you a look to go ahead and start talking.

"So, you remember yesterday about my date. Well, you know how I said he would talk to me? He hasn't. I've known him for years and he always talks to me the next day or even the same day. Always. But today? Nothing. Zip. Zero. It's unlike him. I waited all day. Well, not all day. I went to my friend's house after I felt like I waited too long. Maybe when I was gone he came by. That's a possibility. Maybe he didn't show up. That's also a possibility. There are many possibilities that could be possible. What if he's waiting there right now?" You throw your arms up.

"It's possible." He says simply.

"What if it's not? What if I'm just getting my hopes up? What if I go home tonight and there's nothing?" You bite your lip.

"It's possible." He repeats.

You put your head in your hands and laugh. "I think I've gone mad."

"It's possible." He shrugs.

"I mean, I waited all morning. I cleaned and re-cleaned my closet because I was so anxious. I even organized them by season and then by color and then by fabric. That's insane. But I did it all because I was waiting for him to come and give me an explanation like he always does. I wanted to stay in the place he knew where to find me so I wouldn't be so..." You trail off.

"Distraught?" He practically finishes your sentence.

You nod.

"He's shitty." He deadpans after being silent for a while.

You scoff. "This is not a time for name-calling."

"I think it is." He shrugs.

"What do I do?" You look to him with pleading eyes.

"Why're you asking me? I don't do advice. I'll listen, but I'm not the one you should be asking." He blinks.

You nod slowly and wrap your arms around your knees. You start to nibble on the bandages.

"Would you stop that?" He sighs. You put your hand under your arm. "Look, you can either confront him about it yourself or you can forget about it and move on."

"But-"

"Why waste time worrying over something so little?" He cocks his head to the side.

"Because I care."

"You naive brat." He scoffs.

"Hey." You whined.

"You asked for advice and I gave you some. I told you I wasn't the one you should be asking." He leans against the counter.

You take a deep breath. "Okay. I'm over it."

"What?" 

"I'm over it." You nod.

"Already?" He questions you.

"Yep." You chirp.

"You sure?" He raises his eyebrow.

"Yep. I don't care. It's stupid and I wasted time." You conclude.

He nods suspiciously. "Alright." 

You smile and finish the rest of your tea. He walks over to you and takes the empty cup away. He glances down at the book before disappearing into the back. When he returns, he leans against the front counter and crosses his arms.

"What was your other book about?" He asks.

"Which one?" You look to the book in front of you.

"The one from a couple of days ago," He scoffs. "You were crying about it."

"Oh," You say sheepishly. "I think it was a romance novel."

He scoffed. You mock him and copy his scoff in which he scoffs again.

"Got a problem?" 

"Romance novels are disgusting." He admits.

"No, they're not. They're sweet." You defend.

"They fill naive little brains like yours with false hopes and realities." He deadpans.

"I'm not naive." You pout.

"Sure, and I'm six feet tall." He rolls his eyes.

You snort. "How tall are you really?"

"Shut up, brat." He scoffs.

"You scoff too much." You point out.

"And you talk too much." He fires back.

"Your throat must hurt." You tease.

"That's what the tea is for so I can continue scoffing as much as I please." He closes his eyes.

His tone was serious but you caught on that he was joking. You giggle into your hand. He glances at you briefly before rolling his eyes.

"Wow. I laugh at your joke and you get annoyed?" You say.

"I'm not annoyed." He mutters.

You hum. "I never got your name."

"Levi." He says simply.

You smile and introduce yourself. He nods at you before looking out the window next to you. You do the same and realize how dark it is.

"It's past closing, isn't it?" You sigh. 

"Very." He mumbles.

You stretch out your legs briefly before gathering your book. You push in your chair and walk towards the front door.

"Thanks again. You look back at him and raise your thumb.

"Get a new coping method. One of these days you'll bite your thumb off," says Levi as he heads towards the back.

"I'll try," You chuckle. "Goodnight, Levi."

"Three dollars." He says.

"Pardon?" You raise your eyebrow.

"For the tea. It's three bucks." 

"You seem to take a lot more." You frown.

"Tips included." Levi shrugs.

You nod and open the door. He walks into the back room without saying bye. You sigh and make your way back home.

***

Nothing.

Just as you expected. Nothing was there. No Jean, no note, nothing. 

You weren't upset. You weren't any negative feeling, actually. You were...calm. You kicked off your shoes and changed into a nightgown. You opened your shutters and looked at her.

"Thank you for last night," You start. "I really needed it."

The moon seemed to twinkle as if she was saying you're welcome. You smiled and rubbed your eyes.

"Will Jean ever talk to me? I mean, I hope he will. He's still my best friend, after all. I just...if he's just my best friend then why was I so upset? He doesn't show up for a lot of things." You scratch the back of your neck. 

"..."

"I guess I need to...sort out my feelings. Whatever you want to call them." With that, you wrapped yourself in your blanket and lay down.

However, you couldn't sleep. Your mind was preoccupied with Jean and your predicament. Tonight the moon didn't help you. She instead left you to figure it out for yourself.

Of course, you were oblivious to that fact and thought you angered her in some way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope u liked it! i keep drafting different fanfics and my brain is going brrr. its an issue LOL also username change woohoo! 
> 
> anyway, see you next time <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! here with another update and omg its so soon? whaaat? that's the magic of getting inspiration teehee. anyway i wrote this instead of doing my hw so apologies for any mistakes :)

You were sound asleep when obnoxious knocking on your front door woke you. You groaned and wrapped your pillow around your head to drown out the noise. Your efforts were to no avail. You let out a breath and rolled out of bed. You trudged to the front door and opened it cautiously.

You tiredly stared at Jean while he stared back at you with a stupid grin plastered on his face. He stumbled backward even though he was leaning against your door frame.

"What the hell, Jean?" You whispered yelled.

A crisp breeze rippled through Jean's hair and into your home. You shivered slightly while he remained unaffected. You looked him up and down and found his appearance humorous. His shirt had miscellaneous stains all on the front. His pants had been ripped at the knees and there was mud on his shins and boots. His hair was messy and blew every which way due to the wind.

"Hey, pretty." He slurred.

He reached to your hair and twirled some strands with his finger. You gently pushed his hand away.

"Are you drunk?" You looked at him with slight disgust.

"Hm. Maybe." Jean giggled.

He reached up to your cheek and started stroking it with his thumb. You lightly slapped it away. He stumbled backward again and let out a soft burp into his fist. You grimaced and shook your head.

"Why're you here? It's the middle of the night." You ask.

"Oh, is it?" He giggles again. "Hey, what happened to your finger?"

He frowned at your thumb and you hid it behind your back. He gave you a questioning look and you shook your head.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." You sigh. "Why're you here?"

He shrugs.

"Were you drinking alone?" You look behind him to see no one with him.

"No. I was with...some friends. Somehow I got here. Ha! Isn't that crazy? It's like fate brought me here." Jean stumbled forward and wrapped his arms around your neck.

You groaned as the foul smell of alcohol becoming stronger and burning your nose. You pushed Jean off of you and sighed.

"Well, you can't go back to your house. Your mother will kill you," You grab his hand and lead him to your living room. "Do you have work tomorrow?"

He nods his head and blinks slowly. You lower him onto the couch and take off his boots.

"Lift your arms up." You instructed.

He lazily lifted his arms, and you pulled off his shirt. He stood up and fumbled with his pants button until he finally got it and stepped out of them. He lays down while you throw his dirty clothes into a basket in your bathroom. You head to your bedroom and pull out a blanket and pillow. You fish for a big enough shirt and pants for him to sleep in. Once you do, you return to the living room and help him sit up. You put the shirt over his head and help him step into the pants. He manages to get dressed on his own and lays back down. You slide the pillow under him and cover him with the blanket. He hums as you plant a soft kiss on his forehead. As you're walking back towards your room, Jean speaks.

"I'm sorry."

You twist your mouth and look at him. His eyes were closed and he moved the blanket so that it was covering half of his face. You shake your head and head into the kitchen. You get him a glass of water and set it on the coffee table next to him. You look at him again and chew on your bottom lip.

"Say it again when you're sober."

***

"He was drunk?" Ms. Ruth gasped.

You nodded. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

You woke up the next morning with Jean gone. You surmise he went off to work. His dirty laundry was still in the basket. You rolled your eyes but you should've expected it. Jean never has and never will do his own laundry. You feel sorry for whoever he dorms with.

And just as expected, there wasn't a note left for you. No apology.

Angrily, you made your way to Ms. Ruth's house. It was a chilly day, so you wrapped your light cardigan around you in an attempt to be warm. You gave the sun a quick wave as you hustle. Usually, you would stop to have a quick chat with her, but you were preoccupied with Jean in your mind. You needed to tell someone (other than Levi) about him, and Ms. Ruth was the obvious candidate.

"I'll talk to his mother. Maybe she knows," She says. "Or maybe you can talk to her. This is your business after all."

You nod. "I'll consider it. I really want to handle this myself, but I'm just..."

"I understand. Feelings can be hard." Ms. Ruth smiles.

You nod again. "It's not just that, though. Everything has been feeling off."

"What do you mean?" She raises her eyebrow.

You don't know what you mean. Ever since Jean asked you on the date, you've felt like everything in your life is disorganized. Like, some things that happened weren't supposed to.

You shake your head and she understands that you want to move on.

"How're the sun and the moon?" She asks.

"The sun is great as always. The moon...I don't know." You shrug.

"Oh?" She tilts her head. "How come?"

"She didn't help me sleep last night. I think she's mad at me or something." You frown.

"Why would she be mad?" She grabs your hand and rubs it with her thumb.

"Dunno." You sigh.

Ms. Ruth sends you a quick smile. "Maybe she's just moody."

You and her both chuckle.

"She can hear you, you know?" You point out.

"She knows I'm just teasing." She laughs.

A comfortable silence took over. She had all of the windows in her house open, letting the natural sunlight illuminate the house. A soft breeze made her light pink curtains dance. She swirled her tea around in her cup before taking a sip.

"He stood me up." You finally say.

"Who?" She raised her eyebrow as she continued your sip.

"Jean," You breathe. "It was a couple of days ago. He offered to take me on a date and then didn't show up. Since then, I've been waiting for an explanation. Or apology. Something."

"Oh, dear," She puts down her cup. "I'll definitely be taking to his mother now. I'll make sure he gets a proper scolding."

"Can it wait after he figures everything out for himself? He apologized last night, but he was drunk. I didn't want to accept it. It felt wrong." You admit.

"And you shouldn't have. That's very responsible of you. You know your worth, and you definitely are worth more than a half-assed, drunk apology. Don't settle for something so...shitty." Ms. Ruth smiles.

You laugh at her word choice. _Shitty,_ you think to yourself.

"Well, Jean never was one for monologues. Half-asses is practically his brand," You sigh and pause. "I still expected to wake up to something."

Ms. Ruth gives you an understanding nod and twists her mouth. "Do you like him?"

"What?" You blink.

"Never mind. I'll save that question for another day." She smirks.

You playfully roll your eyes at her and smile. As time goes by, she tells you she made plans to meet with her grandchildren. You wish her goodbye and engulf her in a tight hug.

"Thank you." You breathe out.

"Anytime."

***

Nothing like a good cup of tea to ease your...whatever you want to call it. Anxiety? Anger? Anticipation?

After you left Ms. Ruth's, you spent the rest of the day in the market. You tried on different jewelry, tried samples, listened to people gossiping, perused the newspaper, and (of course) bought another book. It's alarming how quickly you can get through a book. You should take your time since you don't seem to remember anything about it after you're done, but your eagerness and excitement take over and you rush to see how it ends. 

You opened your new book and sipped your tea--the tea that you paid in exact change and neatly. You were proud of yourself. Levi again gave you a satisfied nod.

The shop wasn't full as it usually isn't. There were a few empty tables for two people, but most of the tables that fit more were full. Their conversations echoed throughout the shop. You were too busy being lost in your book to try to eavesdrop.

"Are you going to make a habit of staying past closing?" asks Levi as he cleans off the other tables.

You close your book slowly and smile. "Is it an issue?"

He pauses. "If it is?"

"Well, it'd be for me. I run on a specific schedule, Levi." You say.

You were joking, but you don't think he's caught on. He looks up from the table to you and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, yeah?" He stands up straight. "And what is this schedule?"

"Well, I wake up, and then I do chores around the house. Then, I either visit some old friends or I go into the market. Then, I spend the rest of the day here." You shrug.

"And if it were an issue..."

"Then, I'd have to figure out what I'm going to do for the hours I'm not here." You explain.

"What's so bad about that?" He asks.

"I like coming here." You admit.

He pauses. "It's not an issue."

"Good to know." You smile.

"Tch."

"That's new." You point out.

"What is?" He raises his eyebrow.

"Tch," You mock. "Did I discover something new?"

"Shut up." Levi scoffs.

"Ooh...so close." You tease.

He scoffs again and goes back to cleaning. You watch intensively as he carefully wipes off each table and its chairs. He leaves the candles alone, letting the flame light up the quiet shop. When he's finished, he sighs proudly and puts away his cleaning supplies.

"You know, it's rude to stare." He says without looking at you.

"I'm learning," You cock your head to the side. "You're a neat freak."

"Do you not do chores every day? I mean, most people would skip a few days to continue later." He points out.

"Touché." You smirk. 

Silence filled the shop as he went into the back room. You finished the rest of your tea and pushed the cup towards the edge of the table. You put your knees to your chest and rested your chin on your knees. You wrapped your arms around your legs and sighed. Levi returned shortly after you got comfortable. He looked at you with the same unreadable expression.

"How's your thumb?" He asks.

"Oh, good. Thanks to you." You wiggled it at him which resulted in his scoffing.

"Have you changed the bandages?" Levi walks behind the front counter.

"No," You answer sheepishly. "I've been busy."

He scoffs. "With what? Your chores?"

Levi bends down and brings out the box from yesterday. He saunters over to you and drags the chair that's across from you with his foot and moves it next to you. He swiftly turns it so that he'd be facing you and takes a seat. He moves the empty teacup to the other side of the table along with the candle and sets the box down. As he's opening the box, you reply.

"With Jean, actually." You look at the candle and stare at its flickering flame. "He came by last night drunk."

Levi's pulling out some scissors when he looks at you. You're getting annoyed with his unreadable expressions. "Did anything happen?"

"No. He was his regular self except drunk. I let him sleep on my couch, and he left in the morning." You say.

"Did he say anything about...you know." Levi grabbed your hand loosely and began cutting off the bandages. 

As he's about to reach the top of your thumb, you let out a wince. He stops and immediately pulls the scissors away. He grips your hand a little harder and pulls it closer to him. He examines your finger to look for any cuts before sending you a confused look when he finds none.

You giggle. "I was just messing with you."

"Tch. Brat." He goes back to removing the bandages.

"Anyway, not really. I mean, he did. He said he was sorry, but I told him to talk to me when he was sober." You explain.

"Good. That's a shitty apology." Levi says as he cleans off the dried blood and applies new bandages. 

He packs everything back up when he's finished and takes the box and empty teacup with him. You put the candle back in its original spot and hug your legs. Levi returns back to his seat and leans back. He crosses one leg over the other before speaking,

"I thought you didn't care."

"I don't. I do, but I don't. I didn't expect him to come to my house in the middle of the night. I felt bad. I didn't want to leave him out there in the cold with his dirty clothes," You sigh. "He didn't even do his own laundry before he left."

"No!" Levi exclaimed sarcastically. "That bastard!"

"I know!" You match his tone. "I didn't know he could be so shitty."

Your eyes widen and so does his.

"So, you finally admitted he's shitty," Levi says triumphantly.

"No," You retort. "I was merely being sarcastic."

"Didn't sound sarcastic," Levi argues.

"Did, too."

"I'm not going to participate in this childish arguing." He scoffs.

"And again with the scoffing," You tsked. "Terrible habit."

"Did you forget about your thumb-biting habit?" He cocks his head to the side.

"Shut up." You mumble.

He hums. "Go home. It's getting late, brat."

You roll your eyes and nod tiredly. He gets up and puts the chair back in its original spot. He heads to the front counter while you stretch your legs. As you're leaving, you turn around to face Levi.

"Goodnight, Levi."

No response, as usual. You head towards your house, not realizing you left your book on the table. Levi notices when he's cleaning your table. He scoffs and opens the book. He flicks through the pages as he walks into the back room. He goes to the first page and reads the first few sentences. He rolls his eyes and scoffs at the wall.

"Shitty book."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! i realized my chapters are kinda dialogue dominated and that's usually a big no-no for writing but i say fuck it. i value interactions.   
> anyway, see u next time <3

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed! see u next time <3


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